Sorry for the lack of update yesterday. Time kind of got away from me. But I hope you enjoy the chapter. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Three Hundred and Ninety Eight

Charlie caught Joey's guilty look when she finished in the shower. Clad in a towel, Charlie approached her girlfriend, who shoved her phone into her pocket.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Charlie said.

"I'm really, really sorry," Joey awkwardly replied.


Tony and Rachel left Harry with the babysitter and headed off to work, both in a state of stress. Neither of them could reach the same conclusion about Rachel's job offer and it felt like the end of the life they had built for themselves.


"I'm sorry," Joey said again.

Two members of staff had called in sick for work, meaning that she had to cancel their special day.

"It's fine," Charlie said, sounding anything but.

She sat on the edge of the bed. Joey sat next to her and took her limp hand.

"If I could find anyone else to cover, I would," she said.

"I know," Charlie replied glumly, although she wasn't entirely sure she believed her.

From opening night, Joey had existed only for the restaurant and Charlie was feeling more and more shut out. In fact, even before this, she had been overly dedicated. It was just that Charlie had had time off then and could join in. Now she just felt terribly alone.

"Charlie?" Joey said quietly.

The police officer plastered a smile on her face.

"It's fine," she insisted. "I'll… um… I'll come and see you on your break."

"That would be great," Joey said. "I really am sorry though, Charlie. I swear I'll make it up to you."

They kissed but Charlie's heart wasn't in it.


"Romeo, would you just grow up?" Indi snapped.

She had found him on the beach, surfing as usual, but he had been eager to leave the moment he'd spotted her. She had no idea where she stood with him. One minute he was kissing her and acting like she meant something to him and the next, he was avoiding her like the plague.

"I'm just worried about ruining our friendship," he said weakly.

"Then don't kiss me!" Indi told him. "Seriously, you have to stop playing hot and cold. I'm getting sick of it."

He looked helpless.

"I like you," she told him. "But I'm not going to let you mess me around forever. Get your act together."

Without waiting for him to reply, she stormed off.


With Joey out at work, Charlie knocked on Ruby's door. She had tried and failed to talk to her several times over the last couple of days but, like the situation with Joey, she felt completely shut out.

"I thought you were spending the day with Joey today," Ruby said, opening up the bedroom door.

"She bailed," Charlie said, trying not to look as miserable about it as she did. "Want to hang out?"

Ruby grinned. Suddenly spending time with her mother seemed like the perfect day.

"I'd love to," she said.


"You owe me," Angelo declared.

He too had come in on his day off, not that he particularly had anything else to do otherwise. He was thrilled to be going full time at the restaurant and like the police force, it was the only thing in his life. The town tolerated him and he had noted that the more Joey accepted him, the more other people seemed to as well. But he was very aware of the damage he had caused since that fateful night Jack Holden had died.

"Yeah, whatever," Joey smirked, as she rushed around trying to set up for the day.


Charlie and Ruby were rather startled to arrive at the Diner to get sneaky junk food and find Rachel and Tony arguing. Apparently Tony had been rude to Daniel, with whom Rachel had been meeting.

"Well, I'm moving to Boston!" Rachel snarled bitterly. "With or without you."

She stormed past Charlie and Ruby, leaving Tony looking heartbroken. He stormed out shortly afterwards, leaving Daniel looking embarrassed.

Not wanting to make it their business, Charlie and Ruby headed to a table in the corner where Leah quickly came to serve them.

"What are you doing here?" Charlie asked immediately, very aware that she had insisted Leah stay home.

"I was feeling better and we were short staffed," Leah said guiltily. "But I swear I'm only here for a few hours and then I'm heading right back home."

Charlie looked sceptical but accepted it.

"Why isn't she allowed to be here?" Ruby wondered.

"She hasn't been feeling very well," Charlie explained, still frowning at her friend.


"I'm sorry, Romeo, but she's right," Joey said as her friend followed her between tables and the bar, not seeming to recognise that she was rushed off her feet.

"But…" he protested.

Joey turned to face him.

"You can't come in here in front of everybody and sweep the poor girl off her feet and then ignore her the next day," she said. "That's not the way love stories are supposed to go."

He shrugged and stomped out of the building. Her own words gave Joey food for thought.


"So, we need to talk," Charlie said seriously.

Ruby froze.

"About what?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Liam."

"There's nothing going on between us," Ruby said quickly.

"I know," Charlie said. "And I'm glad. But you still have feeling for him."

"I can't help it!" Ruby said.

"I'm not criticising," Charlie said gently, touching her daughter's hand. "I just know that it's affecting your life and I think you need help dealing with it."

"I'm fine," Ruby lied.

"You've been crying a lot," Charlie said.

Ruby touched her face self-consciously.

"And you've been drinking," Charlie added.

Ruby swallowed and apologised.

"I'm not judging you," Charlie reiterated. "I just want to help."


At the end of a long day, Tony came home to find a one way ticket to Boston on the kitchen table. He picked it up, studying it and reading his precious wife's name over and over again. Then he stormed back out of the house.


"Indi!" Romeo called.

She had been out for dinner with Dex at the Diner, against her better judgement. She genuinely found her brother very annoying.

"What?" she snapped, turning around.

Dex gave them some privacy and walked on ahead a little bit.

"I'm sorry," Romeo said. "Please let me make things right."

"I'm tired of all these gestures and then the retractions and…"

He interrupted her with a kiss, promising that this was for real this time.


Charlie had reluctantly agreed to allow Ruby to go and spend the evening with Nicole but they had established that she would be closely monitoring her and helping her get back on her feet after this random and worrying obsession with an older man.

"Hey, sweetheart," she greeted, finding Joey behind the bar at the restaurant. "How's your day been?"

Joey leant over the bar and kissed her.

"I missed you," she said.

Charlie smiled, trying to push her hurt from this morning away.

"How was your day?" Joey asked, turning to serve a couple of customers wanting beer.

"Yeah, it was good," Charlie said. "I think I made progress with Ruby."

Joey smiled, handing over the beers and accepting the cash. She put it in the till and turned back to Charlie.

"Did you discuss what Bianca told you?" she asked.

Charlie had briefly informed her partner what had happened. She had planned to discuss things properly today but she hadn't had the chance.

"Yeah," Charlie said. "I think she listened. I think we can get through it."

"Of course we can," Joey said, noticing more customers approach. "We're a family."

"Yeah," Charlie said quietly.

For the first time since they'd been together, she didn't feel the sense of family quite so strongly. It unsettled her a great deal.

"So, when's your break?" she asked.

Joey looked awkward. Charlie sighed.

"I'm really sorry," Joey apologised. "But I'm hoping to get the day off tomorrow so we can do everything at a twenty four hour delay."

She smiled, hoping to win her girlfriend over but she was sad at the look of defeat on her face. She apologised again.

"It's fine," Charlie lied. "I'll see you at home."

"You're not going to stay?" Joey asked, sounding upset.

"Sorry Joey but watching you wait tables all night really isn't the Saturday night I planned," Charlie told her. "It's all I seem to do right now. I think I'd rather go home and watch some TV or something."

She left without kissing her goodbye. Joey sighed heavily and closed her eyes. It seemed like her work was ruining her relationship and she felt terrible about it. But she didn't know how to fix things. Undetected, Angelo had observed the whole interaction with interest.


Next time… Joey wants to make things right with Charlie…